Last season is repeating for the San Francisco 49ers. Injuries have been piling up for the team, with one going down after another as the team continues to make changes. While Coach Kyle Shanahan might seek peace in hopes of the return of quarterback Brock Purdy, the latest injury report hasn’t been very impressive. Ten players appeared on the injury report for the Cardinals-49ers practice on Wednesday (Sept. 17), including six starters, and eight of them did not practice at all.

Three players on the roster went down with injuries this week. “Injuries from the game. (FB Kyle Juszczyk) Juice will be in the protocol this week,” the coach said. “Ben Bartch had a high ankle sprain, he will be out for a while. Siran Neal will also be in the concussion protocol, reported some symptoms today. Spencer Burford hurt his knee. We’ll have to evaluate him throughout this week. Jauan Jennings hurt his ankle. We’ll have to evaluate him throughout this week,” he added.

Both running back Kyle Juszczyk and guard Spencer Burford didn’t suit up for practice this season. Kyle Juszczyk was ruled out for the remainder of Sunday’s game against the Saints after being evaluated for a concussion. Defensive end Nick Bosa dealt with neck issues back in August. While he is healthy now, Bosa had the day off for non-injury rest. Running back Christian McCaffrey missed the practice for the same reason.

Tackle Trent Williams also missed the practice session due to his knee issues. And cornerback Siran Neal was also on DNP due to his injury. After the 49ers’ Week 2 win over the Saints, he was placed in the league’s concussion protocol, as reported by Nick Wagoner. So, to suit up for San Francisco’s Week 3 matchup against the Cardinals, he must clear all five steps of the protocol.

The NFL’s five-step concussion protocol begins with symptom-limited activity, allowing only rest, light stretching, and supervised aerobic work. Step two introduces more structured aerobic exercise, where players can begin cardio under supervision. In step three, players are cleared for football-specific activity, including limited team drills for up to 30 minutes. Step four permits non-contact, position-specific drills such as throwing, catching, and running, but only after passing neurocognitive and balance tests. Full clearance comes in step five, requiring approval from both the team physician and an independent neurological consultant before a player can return to full participation.

The best part of the practice was that Purdy took part in a limited capacity, dealing with a toe issue and a left shoulder problem. Coach Shanahan noted that Purdy’s limited practice is a positive sign, especially since he wasn’t able to participate at all last week. “Yeah, he wasn’t limited last week, so yeah. Yeah, he does have a chance,” Shanahan said.

Hopefully, his toe injury didn’t require surgery and saved him from getting sidelined for 3 months. And that keeps the hope alive for the 49ers’ offense.

The 49ers elevated Adrian Martinez from the practice squad

While Purdy is slowly recovering from his injury, that alone isn’t enough. With Purdy sidelined, Mac Jones was named the starter, but the team still needed a backup. Not surprisingly, they elevated quarterback Adrian Martinez from the practice squad to the 53-man roster.

Speaking of his history, Martinez started at Nebraska from 2018 to 2021. After transferring to Kansas State in 2022, he lost the starting job to Will Howard, who went on to lead the team to a Big 12 title. Undrafted in 2023, Martinez briefly signed with the Detroit Lions before being cut, then spent 2024 on the Jets’ practice squad.

Now, the 49ers enter Week 3 resting their hopes on Jones to step up while they await Purdy’s return. In the game against the Saints, Jones threw for 279 yards and a career-high-tying three touchdowns, leading the 49ers to a 26-21 win. Shanahan will be hoping for a similar result in Week 3.